The Instrument for

Preaccession Assistance

IPA: an overview

Mr. Giannantonio Ballette

European Commission DG Enlargement
Financial Instruments & Contracts
May 2011

The Instrument for

Pre-accession Assistance

An

integrated pre-accession instrument to

assist candidates (Croatia, former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Iceland,
Montenegro) and potential candidates (Albania,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia) as well as
Kosovo (under UNSCR 1244/99)

Replaces

Phare, ISPA, SAPARD and Turkey

pre-accession instruments, as well as CARDS

Financial

envelope (200713): 11.5 billion

(current prices)

Purpose of IPA
Candidate countries and potential candidates
need to implement many reforms in order to
comply with conditions for EU membership
(Copenhagen criteria: political, economic and
acquis related)
EU accompanies preparation with financial
support
Hence, IPA assistance is accession driven

Who gets what under IPA

Potential candidates:

Assistance

based notably on European

partnerships

Support

for participation in the Stabilisation

and Association Process all the way to future
accession

Progressive

alignment with the acquis

communautaire

Social,

economic and territorial development

Who gets what under IPA

Candidate countries:

Preaccession

assistance based notably on

Accession partnerships

Help

countries to adopt and implement the

acquis communautaire

Prepare

countries for implementation of

Structural, Cohesion and Rural Development
funds upon accession

Multi-annual Indicative
Financial Framework (rev 2010)
Million Euro. current prices

Croatia
Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Total

141.2

146.0

151.2

153.6

156.5

159.7

162.9

1,071.1

58.5

70.2

81.8

91.7

98.0

105.1

117.2

622.5

10.0

12.0

6.0

28.0

Iceland
Turkey

497.2

538.7

566.4

653.7

781.9

899.5

935.5

4,872.9

Albania

61.0

73.8

81.2

94.2

94.4

96.3

98.1

599.0

Bosnia & Herzegovina

62.1

74.8

89.1

105.4

107.4

109.5

111.8

660.1

Montenegro

31.4

32.6

34.5

33.5

34.2

34.8

35.4

236.4

189.7

190.9

194.8

198.0

201.9

205.9

214.7

1,395.9

68.3

184.7

106.1

67.3

68.7

70.0

73.7

638.8

129.6

137.7

188.9

146.6

191.6

162.5

183.9

1,140.8

44.8

52.0

47.6

47.4

52.2

80.5

84.5

409.0

1,283.8

1,501.4

1,541.6

1,591.3

1,796.8

1,935.7

2,023.8

11,674.4

Serbia
Kosovo (under UNSCR
1244/99)
Multi-beneficiary
Support expenditure
Total

IPA Aid Intensity

(per capita)
Country

Population
(million)

Average IPA aid per

capita
(2007-2013) (Euro)

Croatia

4,5

34,0

Former Yugoslav Republic

of Macedonia

2,0

44,5

Albania

3,6

23,6

Bosnia & Herzegovina

4,0

23,6

Montenegro

0,6

56,0

Serbia

7,6

26,2

Kosovo (under UNSCR 1244/99)

1,8

48,3

Western Balkans

24,1

36,6

Turkey

70,0

9,9

IPA Regulatory framework

IPA
=
Council Framework Regulation
No 1085/2006 of 17 July 2006
(OJ L 210 of 31 July 2006)
+
Commission Implementing Regulation
No 718/2007 of 12 June 2007
(OJ L 170 of 29 June 2007)

Complementary legal framework

At country level: Framework Agreement

Provisions of the Implementing Regulation not

binding on third countries need for bilateral
agreement between Commission and IPA
beneficiary

At programme level: Financing agreement

Financing Decision not binding on third countries

need for bilateral agreement between Commission
and IPA beneficiary (exception: some programmes
managed by HQ)
Provisions specific to the programme concerned,
including financial management and implementing
structures and authorities

Structure of IPA:
5 Components
One framework, a differentiated approach
All countries:
I. Transition Assistance and Institution Building
II. Cross-Border Co-operation

In addition, for Candidate countries only:

III. Regional Development
IV. Human Resources Development
V. Rural Development

A 3-level implementation
framework

1.

ENLARGEMENT PACKAGE, including

Multi-annual Indicative Financial Framework (MIFF)
by country and by component

2.

Multi-annual Indicative Planning Document (MIPD)

by country for all relevant components
Comp I

3.

National
or
Regional
Programmes

Comp II

CBC
Programmes

Comp III

Comp IV

Operational
programmes/
Large projects

Operational
programme

Comp V

Rural
Development
programme

Implementing principles
Increased ownership by, and responsibility of,
beneficiary countries (including national co
financing)
Therefore, decentralised management shall
apply wherever possible
with the ultimate objective of decentralised
management without exante control by the
Commission (expost controls only)

Clear requirements for

decentralised management
In terms of:
Structures and authorities to be put in place by
the beneficiary countries
Accreditation process
Conferral of management powers by the
Commission on the beneficiary country
Monitoring of the accreditation

Component I
Technical assistance and institution building
Scope:
Strengthening of democratic institutions
Development of civil society
Promotion and protection of human rights and
fundamental freedoms
Enhance administrative and judicial capacity
Economic reforms
Reconciliation and reconstruction
Economic and social development (in particular in
potential candidates)

Component I
Technical assistance and institution building
Tools
Administrative cooperation measures
Twinning
Technical assistance
Investment in regulatory infrastructures
Grant schemes
Project preparation facilities
Implementation of finance facilities in co-operation
with IFIs
Participation in Community programmes and Agencies
Budget support (in exceptional circumstances)

Component I
Technical assistance and institution building
National Programmes annual
Prepared by national authorities (ownership!)
Approved by the Commission
Implemented (tendering, contracting, payment) by:
national authorities (where they have been
conferred management powers by the Commission,
i.e. decentralised management)
EU Delegations (where national authorities have
not been empowered yet, i.e. centralised
management)

Component I
Technical assistance and institution building
Multi-beneficiary programmes annual
Prepared by the Commission (in consultation with
beneficiary countries)
Implemented (tendering, contracting, payments):
Centralised management: by the Commission (HQ)
Joint Management: by the Commission together
with IFIs
Ex: Civil society; Food safety; Nuclear safety;
Infrastructure facility;

Component II
Cross Border Cooperation
CBC main strands:
CBC at borders between Member States and
candidates/potential candidates
CBC at borders between candidates/potential
candidates (i.e. Western Balkan internal borders)
In addition:
Financial support, as appropriate, for the
participation of IPA countries in Structural Funds
(ERDF) Territorial Co-operation transnational
programmes or in ENPI sea basins programmes (only
applicable to Turkey)

Component II
Cross Border Cooperation
Main objectives:
Help reconciliation and good neighbourly relations
through joint local and regional initiatives
Promote EU integration (through crossborder and
transnational cooperation with EU Member States)
Prepare future EU members to implement Structural
Funds Territorial Cooperation objective (learning by
doing)
Economic and social development of border areas

Component II
Cross Border Cooperation
Programmes:
CBC between IPA countries:
8 bilateral programmes: HRSRB, HRBiH,
HRMNE, SRBBiH, SRBMNE, BiHMNE,
MNEAL, ALfYRoM
CBC between IPA countries and Member States:
9 bilateral programmes: SIHR, HUHR, BGTR,
HUSRB, ROSRB, BGSRB, BGfYRoM, GRAL, GR
fYRoM
1 multilateral: ADRIATIC (SI, IT, GR and HR, BiH,
MNE, AL as well as SRB in phasing out)

Component II (CBC)
IntraWB borders
Programme

2007-2011

2012-2013

AL ME

7.16

3.40

BiH ME

5.50

2.40

HR BiH

10.00

4.00

HR ME

4.50

2.00

HR RS

9.00

4.00

MK AL

10.60

3.40

BiH RS

8.80

4.00

ME RS

5.70

2.40

AL - Kosovo

2.40

2.40

MK - Kosovo

2.40

2.40

ME - Kosovo

1.20

2.40

Total

67.25

32.80

IPA funds, Million , current prices

Component II (CBC)
Borders with EU MS
Programme

2007-2013

HR - SI

42.70

HR - HU

52.40

RS - HU

50.10

RS - RO

53.10

RS - BG

31.40

MK - BG

17.90

MK - GR

24.80

AL - GR

22.10

TR - BG

34.10

Adriatic (IT, SI, GR HR, BiH, ME, AL, RS)

245.60

Total

606.10

EU Funds, Million , current prices, indicative allocations, subject to the approval of the budgetary authority

Component II
Cross Border Cooperation
Multi-annual cross-border programmes
Jointly prepared by national authorities
Approved by the Commission
Implementation (tendering, contracting, payments):
CBC with EU Member States: Managing Authority
in the participating Member State (shared
management)
CBC between enlargement countries: national
authorities (decentralised management) or EC
Delegations (centralised management)

Component II
Cross Border Cooperation
IPA Component II can also finance the participation
of candidate/potential candidate countries in
Structural Funds transnational programmes under the
Territorial Cooperation Objective (ERDF)
Western Balkan countries are eligible to participate
in the South-East Europe and the Mediterranean
ERDF transnational programmes
Objectives:
familiarise IPA countries with these programmes
in view of accession
participation in joint transnational cooperation
activities with EU MS
hence, foster EU integration

Component III
Regional Development
Precursor of the Structural (European Regional
Development Fund) and Cohesion Funds
3 multi-annual national operational programmes (OPs)
per country: transport, environment, competitiveness
(fYRoM: 1 OP only, transport and environment)
OPs prepared by national authorities and adopted by
the Commission (DG REGIO leads)
Decentralised management by national authorities (ex
ante control by EU Delegation)

Component IV
Human Resources Development
Precursor of the Structural Funds (European Social
Fund)
1 multi-annual national HRD operational programme
(OP) per country
OP prepared by national authorities and adopted by
the Commission (DG EMPL leads)
Decentralised management by national authorities (ex
ante control by EU Delegation)

Component IV
Rural Development
Precursor of the Agriculture and Rural Development
fund
1 multi-annual national RD operational programme (OP)
per country
Prepared by national authorities and adopted by the
Commission (DG AGRI leads)
Fully decentralised management by national authorities
(expost control only)

Component III-IV and V

Approved programmes
Programme

Country/Component
Croatia Comp III

2007-2011

Transport

96.7

Environment

96.7

Competitiveness

63.9

Croatia Comp. IV

Human Resources Dev.

70.0

Croatia Comp. V

Rural Development

129.4

Turkey Comp. III

Transport

339.2

Environment

416.7

Competitiveness

299.7

Turkey Comp. IV

Human Resources Development

299.7

Turkey Comp. V

Rural Development

463.0

FYROM Comp. III

Transport + Environment

109.2

FYROM Comp. IV

Human Resources Development

33.5

FYROM Comp. V

Rural Development

45.5

IPA funds, Million , current prices

Useful links
DG Enlargement web site:
http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/index_en.htm

DG Enlargement, financial assistance:

http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/how-does-itwork/financial-assistance/index_en.htm

EU Delegation to Serbia:
http://www.europa.rs/en.html

The Instrument for

Pre-accession Assistance

Thank you
for your attention